Although public interest is high, it may still be a while before big improvements are made on the intersections crossing Kansas Highway 7 in western Shawnee, city councilmembers were told Monday.
The latest: During the council committee meeting, Deputy Public Works Director Kevin Manning said the state highway department has some long-range plans for improvements to interchanges at 75th Street and 71st Street, but they are as yet unfunded.
State of play: Shawnee has begun a corridor study of future development along K-7 and the major road improvements that it will necessitate.
- Interest in narrow or twisting roads in developing areas also has run high at council meetings.
- More than 80 people turned out to a Nov. 30 open house to share their thoughts about the area’s roads with traffic engineers, he said.
What they’re saying: Apartments being built near K-7 have already caused a need for a better bridge with pedestrian access at 75th Street, said Councilmember Tony Gillette.
- He said the interchange will need to accommodate the people who are already walking across to shop at a grocery store or to reach a bus stop.
- Manning added that pedestrian and bicycle access is now the trend at federal level: “It’s hard to imagine a scenario where a bridge is going in where pedestrians would not be accommodated.”
Zooming out: The Kansas Department of Transportation’s long-range plan for the 75th Street interchange calls for a diverging diamond layout, while the nearby 71st Street interchange may have a flyover, he said.
- Because of its nearness to 75th Street, the 71st Street interchange probably could not have ramp access, he added.
- But so far those interchanges are not in the state highway budget, he said.
What could happen: A typical total cost for interchanges over state highways would be $25 million to $30 million, he said. The city could move the schedule forward by procuring some of the funds.
Traffic patterns: For now, the afternoon traffic is heavier along K-7 than the morning traffic, according to a study of traffic patterns, Manning said.
- The heaviest traffic is still at about half the capacity of the roads in that area, meaning that it is not yet busy enough to cause gridlock or sudden slowdowns.
Some concerns: The 75th Street intersection has received a lot of attention from the council and public lately because of apartments going in there. But residents at the open house also expressed concern over Clare Road and Woodland Road, he said.
- Residential development has brought some residents to council meetings to talk about the need to slow traffic on those two smaller roads and make them safer.
Next steps for K-7 in Shawnee
The next step is for city traffic engineers to look at where the development has started or is expected to start.
- Manning said the preliminary recommendations are scheduled for the end of February, with a final presentation to the council by the end of March.
Roxie Hammill is a freelance journalist who reports frequently for the Post and other Kansas City area publications. You can reach her at roxieham@gmail.com.
